electric stove eyes

[KenH]

Hello all - good group here and I have a question. I've used gas stoves most of my life, but the wife got a new Gen-Aire electric stove when we moved into new (to us) house. When the eye is set to medium (anything less than high) the eye goes to high, then turns off, then back to high - I guess it's high since it's bright red. My thinking was when on medium the eye would use a triact (or something) to allow smaller amount of electric power to heat eye up only to mid point, but be solid at that medium level.

Is the above normal for electric stove eyes?

We've about decided to get a gas stove, but have to have a tank, lines, etc for gas stove.

Thanks for any info.

Ken H>

[jim147]

Is this a flat top or coil elements that stick up? Got a model number? The switch is the normal voltage/temperature regulator but depends on the model.

[SciFiJim]

I've had electric stoves for the last 20 years in several houses. The action you described is normal. It comes on then goes off repeatedly. How fast it goes off and the ratio of off to on is determined by the level of heat you set on the dial. Low only comes on briefly and then goes off. High stays on longer before going off.

[DerekP Houston]

Mine cycled on and off to maintain whatever heat level you selected.

[KenH]

Thanks for the answers - that's the same as my stove. Does that seem like a poor design to ya'll? Why not allow the on-board micro-controller (computer) which most all stoves have these days to simply allow a % of full power, depending on where the control knob was set?

This is a Genn-Air stove with the glass covering over the heating coils.

Thanks again for the responses - now I know my stove isn't broke, just poor design.

Ken H>

[DLCTEX]

Agree that is normal.

[Shiloh]

Currently looking at the feasibility of getting a gas range/stove.
From my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, stainless flex gasline is replacing black iron pipe??

Shiloh

[DougGuy]

Plastic is replacing all of it now..

[jsizemore]

Most electric appliances operate by being fully on or off. Some of the newer front load washers have variable power output to the motors for the spin cycle.

[KenH]

Am I wrong, but it seems like years ago the old fashion electric stoves not regulate amount of heat rather than just turning elements OFF or ON? Just seems like I can remember seeing eyes that were just low red rather than bright red? Todays stoves it would be so simple to allow just amount of electric current required to heat element to amount of heat required.

[Wayne Smith]

Simple, but efficient? I'm no engineer, but wonder about the loss involved. Full on/full off I think is the most efficient.

[KenH]

You're right, with the old fashioned style of rheostat where the excess current is dumped as heat it would be very inefficient. Using a SSR (Solid State Relay) with the same technology we do in the PID control of casting pots they heating element is turned ON and OFF very rapidly allowing only the amount of energy thru to heat amount desired.

To get what I want, I guess we'll look at the idea of gas stove, but venting is the problem the way the cabinets are made above stove.

Ken